Machinery for changing the angle of the flanges of angle-bars



2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

W. B HIGHFIELD MACHINERY P03 CHANGING THE ANGLE OFTHB PLANGES 0F)ANGLEBARS v j j, Patented-N018, 1881;

WITNESSES:

N. PETERS. Pimmidhognmhnr. wuun m u. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

W. E. HIGHFIE-L D. MAGHINERYFOR CHANGING THE ANGLE OF THE FLANGES OI}ANGLE BARS. N 249,352; 276;, 5' Patented Nov. 8, 1881 UNIT D STATES TPAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. HIGHFIELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINERY FOR CHANGlNG THE ANGLE OF THE FLANGES 0F ANGLE-BARS.

SPEC IFICAT IfJN forming part of Letters'Patent No. 249,352, datedNovember 8, 1881.

Application filed May 5,1881. (Nomodch) To allwhom it may concernBeitknown that I,WILLTAM ErHIGHFiEL j a citizen of the Uni tedStates,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImp'rovementsin and Machinery for Changing the Angles of the Flanges ofAngle-Bar's, of which the following is a specification.

it is to form part.

ings of the machine which'I employ in carrying out myinvention.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view of the machine; Fig. 2, a transversesection on the line 1 2; Fig. 3, Sheet 2, a longitudinal section. ofFig.1; Fig. 4., thesame with'the parts in a different position; Figs. 5and 6, Sheet 1, diagrams illnstratingthe character of the work performedby the machine; andFig. 7 a diagram, showing the defect of theusualmethod.

In building iron vessels or other structures having an gle-ironframes,itbecomes necessary to spread or change the angle of the flanges.

The common method of performingthis operation is-to secure one of theflanges of the bar to a bed-plate or casting and then hammer the otherflange against a suitable templet or templets. This mode isobjectionable, partly on account of its tedious and expensive character,but principally because it results in the production of a curved orhollow flange, as in Fig. 7, the angle being more acute at and near thecorner or point of junction 00 than it is at other parts of the flange,owing to the greater thickness of metal at said point or, and theconsequent greater difficulty of bending the flange at this pointbyhammering. Owing to this curved or hollow shape of the flange itfailsto afford a firm seat for a plate or bar which is riveted thereto,and a structure in which the angle-irons are used must,on this account,always be more or less defective.

' In carrying out my invention I discard the plan of hammering theflange, and effect the operation by means of rolls in the mannerillustrated in the drawings, in whichtheopposite direction.

A A andB B represent four conical rolls carried by short shafts a. a andb b, the pair of rolls A A being adapted to oneflange, y, of the anglebar, and the other pair of rolls,B B, bein g adapted to the otherflange,y, of the same. Each roll-shaft is carried by two boxes, the outer box,(I, of each shaft being pivoted to theopposite side frames, D, of themachine, and theinner boxes d, ofthe shaftshaving projecting lugs orpins adapted to slots (1 in said side frames.

is transmitted therefrom to the shafts a and I) through the medium ofsuitable bevel-gearing, as shown, so that the rolls A B are caused torevolve in one direction and the rolls A B in Power may be applied tothe shafts a. and b in various ways, the means shown in the drawingsbeing ahorizontal driving-shaft at the base of the machine,

operating inconjunction with suitable bevelgearing and with vertical andhorizontal transmittin g-sh'afts' e and f.

One of the vertical shafts, e, carries a cone- .pulley or drum, g, abelt passing round the of yokes being connected by similar rods to theboxes d of the shafts b b. p

The operation of the machine is as follows: The angle-bar is drawn fromthe furnace by means of tongs or other suitable drawin g mechanism, andthe end of the bar isintroduced between the rollswhile the latter are inthe po- The shaft m carries eccentrics. n, which Power is applied to theshafts a and b, and

sition shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the faces of the rolls A A being at rightangles tothose 0f the rolls B B, and the yokes 19 being at the limit oftheir upward movement. As the bar is fed through the rolls, however, thelatter are depressed by the action of the eccentrics n on the yokesp,and a consequent change in the angle of the-pairs of rolls in respect toeach other is effected, as shown in Fig. 4, thus resulting in thecone-pulleys g the spreading of the flanges can be regulated as desired.

It is advisable in most cases to make the worm i loose on the shaft h,and to provide said shaft with a device for olutchingthe worm toorreleasing it from the shaft, so that any desired length of the bar canbe allowed to pass between the rolls before throwing the shaft m intogear and commencing to depress said rolls and spread the bar.

Suitable indicators may be employed in connection with the shaft m andshafts a. a. and b b, in order that the attendant may readily observeand govern the movements of the shafts and the character or extent ofthe change in the angle of the flanges of the bar.

The slots d in the frames 1) are such that the rolls A A and BB preservethe same longitudinal relation to each other at the point w,

irrespective ofchanges in the vertical position and in the angle oftherolls,sothat each flange of the angle-bar is always confined bytherolls throughout its entire width; hence the flanges rods, wherebythe shaft m is caused to control the position of the roll-shafts, may bereplaced by other connections, and in some cases the rolls may retain afixed vertical position, changes in the angle of-the rollsbeingefi'ected by elevating or depressing the outer ends of 5 theroll-shafts.

I claim as my invention 1. The mode herein described of changing theangle of the flange of an gle-bars, said mode consistin gin passing thebar between two pairs -of rolls, which confine the opposite flanges ofsaid bar, and gradually changing the angle of the pairs of rolls inrespect to each other as the bar passes between them, as set forth.

2. The combination of the rolls A A andB B and their shafts with pivotedboxes d for said roll-shafts, asset forth.

3. The combination of the side frames, D, having slots d, the rolls A Aand B B, and their shafts a a and b b, the pivoted boxes (I, and theboxes d, having lugs or projections adapted to the slots d as set forth.

4. The combination of'the rolls A A and B B and their shafts with theshaft m having eccentrics n, the yokes p, and connecting-rods s, as setforth. i

5. The combination of the rolls A A and B B, the controlling-shaft 'm,and devices, substantially as described, whereby the speed of the saidshaft m in respect to the roll-shafts may be varied, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in thepresence of two-subseribin g witnesses.

WILLIAM E. HIGHFIELD.

Witnesses:

ARMER F. MoOoRMIeK, HARRY SMITH.

